Whiffletree-hook



(No Model.)

D. J. DOSSEY.

WHIFFLETREE 1100K.

No. 264,140. Patented Sept. 12, 1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL J. DOSSEY, OF WILLS POINT, TEXAS.

WHIFFLETREE-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 264,140, dated September 12, 1882. Application filed July 28, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL JASPER DOSSEY, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Wills Point, in the county of Van Zandt and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Frieze-Irons or Whiffietree- Irons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a whiffletree with my frieze-iron attached; Fig. 2, a side view of my frieze-iron detached, detailingits construction and showing its shape; Fig. 3, a face view, showing its shape before it is bent and made ready to be put on the'whiffletree.

The object of my invention is toprovide a frieze-iron that will be cheap and easily made, and at the same time so constructed that, first, there will be no danger of the whiffletree becoming detached from the double-tree or tongue of the wagon by accident; second, there will be no danger of the trace-chains becoming detached or unhooked from the whiffletree by accident; third, there will be no danger of the frieze-irons slipping off of the end of the whiffietree; fourth, it can be screwed up tight from time to time as the wood wears or shrinks, and be thus kept tight all the while.

My frieze-iron is constructed as follows: After the iron is beaten and cut into proper shape, as shown in Fig. 3, I make two holes, a a, in the same. Then with a cold-chisel I raise four or more teeth, I) b b b, on the inner face of the same. Then on the shorter end 0, I secure a spring-tongue, d. Then on the longer end 6, I cut on its inner face recess f as deep as the tongue dis thick. When this is done I bend the iron into proper shape,as shown in Fig.2. 1 then slip it on the whiffletree, and when in proper position insert bolt g throughholes a a and screw the top It and bring the iron tight down on the wood. This operation sinks the teeth 1) into the wood and keeps the middle iron from moving in its place and the end irons from slippingoff the end when the whiffletree becomes dry and shrunken.

trace might get under and work out.

When the wood shrinks a little and the irons become a little loose, as they will in time, no matter how tight when first put on, give the nut h a few turns and tighten the frieze-iron as it was at first. Thus the irons can be constantly screwed down to the wood as long asin use. For buggies, wagons, and vehicles used in cities and towns convenient to wood-shops I would cut the end of bolt 9 off a little above nut h after the same is screwed down, and beat the end down to form a head on the bolt, thus preventing the nut from turning upon its threads and becoming loose, and as often as the wood shrinks screw down again and continue to beat the head down to form the head. But for plantation-wagons for country use I would not cut off the end of the bolt not beat it down as above described, for if the whiffletree should break the irons can be at once taken off and put on any rough stick or pole with an ax or other simple tool until time can be.

found to take it to a wood-shop. The tongue 01 fills mouth 70 and the loose end fits into recess f, so there will be no projection that the tongue (I is made broader at its loose end than the end 6, so as to form a space for the thumb to rest on to push or spring it down, so as to release the trace-chain without putting the thumb into and filling up mouth It. The holes 'a a are so placed that when the bolt gpasses through them it will press against the front edge of the whiffletree.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure is- A f1 ieze-iron having teeth 1), holes a, recess f, and spring-tongue d, filling mouth 70 and fitting into recessf, and being adapted to be secured around the whiffietree by bolt and nut, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereofl affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL JASPER DOSSEY.

Witnesses: I J. J. DIGKAR'I, N. A. MATTHEWS.

The 

